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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

KYLESA: New Song, Album Artwork Posted Online

A new KYLESA song, "Said And Done", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The track comes off the Savannah group's forthcoming album, "Static Tensions", whch is scheduled for release on March 17 via Prosthetic Records.

"'Said and Done' was the first song we wrote for 'Static Tensions' and has a little bit of everything that can be heard on the album. We think it is a good introduction," explains guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants.

The "Static Tensions" artwork was created by BARONESS' John Dyer Baizley and can be seen below. Guitarist/vocalist Phillip Cope produced the CD, which was recorded at the Jam Room in Columbia, South Carolina. He stated about the group's mindset during the making of the new album, "It was definitely a lot more thought out. We have the hindsight of some of the mistakes we've made in the past, so we were able to avoid making them again on this record. I think we came away from the experience with our best stuff yet."

Added guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants: "All of our records sound pretty different, but with the same core vibe or sound, and I think the new record has our core KYLESA sound, but branches out even more to incorporate more of our rock and psychedelic influences."

Metal Maniacs checked in with Cope while he was in the studio tracking KYLESA's new album for an interview in the February issue. Excerpts follow.

Metal Maniacs: This is the second KYLESA record you've produced thus far. Can you give us some tech-y details about it?

Phillip Cope: It's on Prosthetic and recorded at the Jam Room. I'm credited as the producer but [drummer] Carl [McGinely] and three engineers from the studio helped as well. I just oversaw the whole thing. The Jam Room has got an A and a B studio. We recorded in both at the same time. It was a real massive ordeal. Scott Hull is mastering it right now.

Metal Maniacs: What was it like recording two drummers? It looks like you tracked them at the same time.

Phillip Cope: That's pretty much it. We didn't worry about bleed. It was important for those guys to be able to see and hear each other really well. We didn't use a click track at all. We originally started to record live with all of us, but they decided they could play tighter without us, that we were actually messing them up [laughs]. So they just went for it and played through the whole album together.

Metal Maniacs: How long did it take record the album?

Phillip Cope: We were off and on for a while. I would say we spent about 20 days tracking. We really took our time with this one. Prosthetic has been really cool about it, not forcing us into crunch times with dates. We pretty much had it done, got on tour, had some time to reflect and came back to the studio. I think that helped a lot. Before we'd always get it done, send it off and wish we'd changed something later. This time we tightened up guitar solos or vocal parts that we'd let be sloppier in the past. It's definitely the tightest KYLESA record we've ever done. We're not technical tight, but you know, tight for us.

Metal Maniacs: And how did vocals go?

Phillip Cope: Laura [Pleasants] and I gave each other more space on this one. Before we'd try to sing on top of each other and off of each other. There are songs where both of us sing, but for some it's just Laura and some it's just me, which is the first time we've done that on a record.

Metal Maniacs: You've produced several bands including BARONESS and WITHERED. Do things differ when you produce your own band?

Phillip Cope: I'm a lot busier when working with a band I'm in [laughs]. It's more stressful, but I got a lot of help. I listened to a lot of people's opinions along the way.